Before the stone chips on the second floor of the Sword Tower had even hit the ground, the second black-iron puppet's greatsword came cleaving down like Mount Tai bearing down overhead. Its Earth Element Sword Intent was solid as rock, and the sword wind swept shattered stones toward Ling Yun's face. Its attack was three parts fiercer than the first puppet's—clearly, with the formation core destroyed, the remaining puppets would grow stronger over time. What this tested was not merely sword techniques, but the ability to endure.
Instead of retreating, Ling Yun advanced. The tip of his left foot touched the ground, and his body drifted aside like willow fluff, avoiding the greatsword's point of impact. The Sky-Rending Sword turned in his hand, its scabbard tracing an arc along the puppet's arm. This time, he did not rush to use "Wind Chant." Instead, he poured the Earth Element Sword Intent he had just absorbed into the blade. A faint brown glow instantly spread across the coarse-cloth scabbard—the force-borrowing method of "Heaven and Earth First Form" was actually being used by him to guide the enemy's Sword Intent and turn it back upon the puppet itself.
Crack!
The scabbard struck the gap in the puppet's elbow joint. Earth Element Sword Intent seeped through the crack and collided with the driving Sword Intent within its body. The puppet's movements stalled, and a flaw appeared in its formerly solid sword stance. Ling Yun seized the chance, violently twisting his wrist as the "Wind Chant" sword technique tore through the air. Pale cyan wind blades wrapped around fine strands of earthen-yellow Sword Qi like a spiraling drill, precisely boring into the gap in the puppet's joint.
Boom!
The second puppet collapsed with a thunderous crash, turning into a pile of black-iron rubble. Undispersed Earth Element Sword Intent still lingered among the fragments, automatically absorbed by Ling Yun's Chaos Sword Body and drawn into his dantian. The Sword Qi within him was no longer merely chaotic cyan radiance; it was now mixed with pale brown and light cyan hues. Though faint, it was already the embryonic form of fused elemental Sword Intent.
"Not bad. You understand how to borrow the enemy's momentum and turn it to your own use. That is the essence of the Qiankun Sword Canon," Sword Elder said approvingly. "The third puppet's Sword Intent will be even stronger. You can try thoroughly blending the two Sword Intents and unleash a true composite sword technique."
Ling Yun nodded and turned to the final puppet. Earth Element Sword Intent on this puppet's greatsword was already dense as ink, and rock-like patterns had even appeared on the blade. Clearly, it had gathered all the remaining power of the formation core into itself. It did not attack rashly. Instead, it slowly raised its greatsword, condensing a basin-sized Earth Element Sword Pellet before the blade. With a dull howl through the air, it smashed straight toward Ling Yun.
"Now!" A sharp light flashed in Ling Yun's eyes. The composite Sword Qi within him circulated madly as he gripped his sword with both hands and unleashed "Heaven and Earth First Form" and "Wind Chant" at once. The Sky-Rending Sword drew an arc interwoven with cyan and brown. The move was no longer a simple chop or wind-guiding technique; it formed a spinning vortex of Sword Qi that instantly swept the incoming Earth Element Sword Pellet into its depths.
Hummm—
Within the Sword Qi vortex, cyan and brown radiance collided and merged. The ferocity of the Earth Element Sword Pellet was dissolved by Chaos Sword Qi, while the agility of Wind Element Sword Intent endowed it with flowing momentum. Moments later, the vortex exploded violently. A composite Sword Qi streaked through the air in cyan and brown, not only shattering the Earth Element Sword Pellet but also riding the momentum to slash at the puppet's head—its hardest and most crucial driving core.
Crack!
The puppet's head shattered, and its entire body crashed to the ground. The winds on the second floor of the Sword Tower completely dissipated, while all the formation-core crystals on the walls went dark. The cold mechanical voice sounded again: "Stone Sword Trial, passed! Reward: one Earth Element Sword Intent Crystal, which may be used to refine Earth Attribute Sword Intent."
A grayish-brown diamond-shaped crystal fell from the air. Ling Yun caught it. It felt warm and smooth in his hand, and the Earth Element Sword Intent it contained was pure and dense. The moment he touched it, it automatically merged into his dantian and fused with his composite Sword Qi. He looked up toward the staircase leading to the third floor. What lingered there was no longer fierce wind or Earth Element Sword Intent, but an indescribably hazy aura, as though it could stir the deepest longings in one's heart.
"The third floor, the Sword Intent Illusion Realm, is the most dangerous," Sword Elder's voice turned solemn. "The illusion will reflect what you care about most. It may tempt you or enrage you. If you are trapped within it, at best you will be unable to advance; at worst, your Sword Heart will be damaged, and progress will become impossible. Remember: no matter what you see, maintain a Clear Sword Heart. Do not be deceived by appearances."
Ling Yun tightened his grip on the Sky-Rending Sword and slowly stepped onto the stairs. The moment he entered the third floor, the scene around him changed abruptly—it was no longer the stone walls of the Sword Tower, but the courtyard of the Ling Family in Qingfeng Town. Familiar carved wooden windows, the old locust tree in the courtyard, even the fragrance of the medicine his mother used to brew filled the air.
"Yun'er, come quickly and try the new sword tassel Mother made for you."
A gentle voice came from inside the house. Ling Yun's body stiffened abruptly, and his eyes instantly reddened—this was a scene from when he was three years old, and the warmest fragment of his memories. He nearly stepped forward and rushed into the house, but suddenly felt a sharp pain from the Sky-Rending Sword in his hand. Sword Elder's voice rang out in time: "This is an illusion! Your mother has long been gone. Do not let false longings trap you!"
Ling Yun suddenly came back to himself. He drew a deep breath and activated Clear Sword Heart—the courtyard before him instantly rippled. The leaves of the old locust tree became blurred, and even his mother's voice carried faint static. He gripped the Sky-Rending Sword tightly and swung toward the center of the courtyard. Composite Sword Qi shot through the air, shattering the illusion before him.
The scene changed again. This time, it was the night of the Ling Family's Annihilation—flames soared into the heavens as cultivators of the Zhao Family wielded their swords and slaughtered clan members at will. His father stood in front of him, his back pierced through by black Sword Qi condensed by the Sword Devouring Art, blood staining his robes red.
"Father!" Ling Yun's voice trembled. The Sword Qi within him churned out of control, and hatred surged through his heart like a tidal wave, nearly making him lose all reason and charge forward to fight the Zhao Family cultivators in the illusion to the death.
"A Sword Heart must not be thrown into disorder!" Sword Elder's voice was stern. "If you let hatred control you now, you will never leave this illusion! Revenge requires a calm sword, not rage run wild!"
Ling Yun closed his eyes and forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, once again activating Clear Sword Heart. He clearly saw that although the Zhao Family cultivators in the illusion moved realistically, they lacked the flaws of real combat. Their Sword Qi, too, only had the shape without the soul, lacking the soul-eroding sinister aura of the Sword Devouring Art. He slowly opened his eyes, held the Sky-Rending Sword level, and aimed its tip at Zhao Kun's phantom in the illusion. His voice was calm yet resolute. "You are not the real Zhao Kun. My sword will only strike at my true enemy."
Whoosh!
Composite Sword Qi swept out again. This time, he mixed not a trace of rage into it, relying only on the precision of his sword technique and the purity of his Sword Intent. The illusion shattered like glass, and the surroundings returned to the third floor of the Sword Tower. It was an empty platform, with a waist-high stone stele standing in its center. Four ancient seal-script characters were carved upon it: "Heart Sword as One." It was the formation core of the illusion.
Beside the stone stele lay a silver sword tassel. A slip of paper was tied to it, its handwriting sharp and forceful—it was unmistakably Murong Shuang's hand. "Illusions are easily broken, but holding the heart and sword as one is difficult. If you cannot even pass this little test, you are unworthy of crossing swords with me on the seventh floor."
Ling Yun picked up the sword tassel, his fingertips brushing over the sharp handwriting. A faint curve lifted at the corner of his lips—this was the first time Murong Shuang had regarded him as a true opponent rather than "an outer disciple without a spiritual root." He tucked the sword tassel into his robes and looked toward the staircase leading to the fourth floor. The Sword Intent lingering there was stronger than that of the third floor, yet purer as well. Clearly, it led closer to the Sword Intent Stele.
"The fourth floor, Sword Shadow Maze, tests your ability to adapt your sword techniques," Sword Elder's voice sounded again. "The composite Sword Qi within you has already taken its initial form. This is the perfect chance to temper your sword techniques and prepare for comprehending the Basic Sword Intent on the seventh floor."
Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword tightly, feeling the cyan-brown Sword Qi flowing within him and the faint warmth radiating from the scabbard. After three floors of trials, this Mortal Iron Ancient Sword seemed to be quietly awakening as well. The blade beneath its scabbard was growing alongside his Sword Intent, releasing increasingly distinct spiritual fluctuations.
He stepped onto the stairs leading to the fourth floor, his figure vanishing into the dense Sword Intent. This time, he was no longer advancing merely for revenge, but to seek the True Meaning of the Way of the Sword, to face Murong Shuang in a decisive battle on the seventh floor, and to prove that—even without a spiritual root—he could still ascend to the Peak of the Way of the Sword.
Before you continue